Wesley Jefferson Lincoln, better known as Link, is the childhood best friend (and partner in crime) Ethan Wate, on-and-off boyfriend of Ridley Duchannes. He was later turned a Light Quarter-Incubus.

Link's life, like Ethan's, changed upon the arrival of Lena Duchannes and he discovered the existence of the Caster world. His life also majorly changed upon the meeting of Ridley Duchannes, Lena's dangerous Siren cousin, with whom he fell in love with. Despite his love for her, he found himself in a complicated relationship with Ridley due to her ongoing denials of loving him; even though it was blatantly obvious that she does. He lost his complete mortality when he accidentally got bitten during a fight with John Breed,[1] but was shown to be serious in the most needed occasions.

Contents

Biography

Link has been Ethan's best friend since kindergarten, son of Mrs. Lincoln and on-again/off-again boyfriend of Ridley. He and Ethan had known each other since they were kids (they met when they were on a bus in kindergarten and Link gave him a Twinkie that he claimed was on the floor after Ethan ate it) and are best friends sharing a brother-like bond. He is shown to be very loyal towards his loved ones and stands by Ethan no matter what, even to the extent of even accepting Lena and sticking up for her when the entire school turned against her; being supportive of Lena and Ethan's romantic relationship. He is an amateur musician and he plays in a band that he is very proud of, although they aren't very good.

He ended up getting bit by John Breed in the midst of a fight, and became an Incubus, he then focused on adapting to his new powers.[2] He fell in love with Ridley despite her mistreatment of him and her wild personality and could be seen constantly trying to smooth things with her so they can be a couple, only to get rejected each time. He got angry at her when she got her powers back purposely from their enemies[3] (Ridley having gotten them stripped from her and rendered a mortal since then[4]). Ridley attempted to claim she only did it for them as a couple so they could be together trying to reason he'd only get bored of her as a mortal and didn't want to risk that. She even attempts to get him to take off with her for the single night, insisting that she had only returned there at all was for him, but he refuses to forgive her, breaking her heart. But as she flees when he rejects her because of her selfish choice he says, "Bad or not, you'll always be my girl." Implying he will always love her despite his blunt rejection of her.

Characteristics

Personality

Link is shown to be a fun loving guy with an almost always joking attitude. He is a drummer in amateur band although they are told to be pretty bad. Despite his fun and joking side, Link has been shown to have a serious side when it come to Ridley always laying it out thick with her seriously expressing his love for her only to get shot down each and every time. Though this does not stop his many other attempts to establish a firm ground in a relationship with her.

Link is shown to be kind and friendly among everyone. He is also shown to be very loyal always sticking up and by Ethan and staying by his side with no hesitance when it came to Lena despite how hated she was when she first came to Gatlin.[5]

Physical attributes

Link is described as having dark hair and eyes and a slim or average build before transforming into an Incubus.

Powers and Abilities

Link was originally mortal and therefore had no powers; however, after John Breed bit him,[6] Link developed into an Incubus,[7] losing his mortal traits and weak mortality. He soon gained enhanced strength, speed, ability to travel and feeds off of mortal's dreams and thoughts to sustain himself. Also in addition to his changing into an Incubus, Link developed a strong masculine appearance and soon starts to swoon mortal girls into developing an infatuation towards him; another trait of being an Incubus. This is known to irritate Ridley who, despite vehemently denying it, is in love with him. He can also kelt as he kelted with Ethan during graduation about how hot it was.[8]

Relationships

Ridley's relationship with Link at first started out as any other relationship with a guy; her using her siren powers on him to get what she wanted out of him. However slowly, Link began to genuinely fall in love with her despite her wild and slutty personality and how she basically mistreated him always ignoring him.

However over time, by Beautiful Darkness, it is hinted at that Ridley has developed real feelings for him as well being shown in several scenes to care for his safety and how Ethan describes that Ridley was "the one who looked uncomfortable," when seeing Link for the first time in awhile; this may possibly due Ridley realizing she actually felt something for him. Another hint being that at the end of the novel, when discovering what John Breed had done to him, bitten him, Ridley is described as "looking like she could throw someone off a cliff." Also throughout the novel she and Link constantly bicker and argue in between when Ridley is shown to worry for Link; though she denies caring about him. In the novel, Link confides in Ethan that while he knew Ridley was Dark, he still loved her. He also reveals that he and Ridley had come close many times to having sex during their time together in Beautiful Creatures, despite that Mortals and Casters could not be together without the mortal getting killed, but when they would be on the very brink of having sex Ridley would be the one to stop; not Link due to not knowing what would happen if they did have intercourse. While Link at the time thought she decided he was only good enough to mess with, he now wonders if she had stopped because she didn't want to risk hurting him or worse.

Ridley's jealous side is seen for the first time Beautiful Chaos as she continues to ignore Link and reject his attempts at a relationship with her further indicating of her growing feelings for Link. When Link begins to develop a masculine appearance due to his changing into an Incubus by John Breed's bite, more girls start to flirt and hit on him showering him in flirtatious attention. Ridley's jealous side is seen when she begins to get viciously jealous and possessive when other girls flirt with him; her anger being directed at Savannah Snow who flirts with Link the most. Ridley even goes to the extent of not only threatening her to leave Link alone, but to even make an entire cheer-leading pyramid fall on top of her, breaking her leg. But throughout the course of the novel, Ridley denies having any sort of feelings for Link claiming she won't ever love him; even going out with another guy to prove this to him; though her jealousy towards other girls who flirt with him continues to go completely unhinged along with Link's still lingering feelings for Ridley.

Later at a party Link isn't able to deny his feelings for Ridley and ends up calling her his "girl," and says how he loves her and wants to be with her. Ridley at first looks like she might just return his feelings, but when seeing Ethan, Lena and Liv watching from afar instead yells at him saying she will never love him and to just get over her before storming off. Link finally gives up on Ridley just as Savannah comes up and kisses him and Link, seeing he now has nothing left to lose, kisses her back. Ridley sees the kiss from some distance away when turning around and in reaction, literally in an actual sense, screams in outright fury causing nearby party-goers to turn and stare at her. Ridley, in the mix of her anger and jealousy, casts a furor spell; a spell of fury. It is made clear by then that Ridley does love Link, but is just too stubborn to admit it.

She isn't seen again until towards the end of the novel when sneaking into an empty hallway to see Link who was at his locker changing his shirt. It is revealed that she got her powers back by her now golden eyes. (With Ridley explaining that she "begged for forgiveness and all that.") When Link expresses his anger at her choice, she then begins to claim that she only did it for him - for the first time returning Link's feelings openly - and them as a couple so they could be together (reasoning he'd only get bored with her as a mortal and didn't want to risk that). She attempts to coax him into taking off with her for the night saying she only came back for him, seeming to truly mean it opening up a weak and vulnerable side no one has seen before. But she ends up losing him instead because of the selfishness of her choice. In reaction to this, Ridley states that would be the last time he would ever see her again, actually seeming sincerely dejected at Link's rejection of her getting teary eyed, and flees from the room in distress. After this, true to her word, she isn't seen again for the rest of the novel.

In Beautiful Redemption, the two meet once again after Lena saves Rildey when she was imprisoned by Abraham in a cage and shackles. While the two seem initially hostile towards each other upon first seeing each other again, Link insisting he and Ridley "weren't meant to be", Lena takes note of how Ridley can't look Link in the eye. Link and Ridley "fight" (aka flirting, this which is obvious to everyone) with each other throughout the course of the novel together, but seem to gradually get on a more better note with each other. This shown in a scene where the two just simply talk instead of "fighting" and Link puts his arm around her shoulders, something Ridley doesn't seem to mind. Despite their bickering meant to appear as hostility, it only further implies their feelings for each other. In the end of the novel, they sit next to each other at Dar-ee Karen's and talk a little bit about when they were together and when Link tells Ridley to admit she "loves" him (saying it in a somewhat joking manner), she says that since she's a Siren she cannot love anything. However, Link responds by directly telling her, "Except me" before kissing her on the cheek. This, in which, she doesn't deny. It is implied that they are somewhat of an unofficial couple.

Link has been shown to be the only guy to have ever had an emotional effect on Ridley; and most likely the only guy she ever truly loved since she has thrown all guys aside after she is done with them cutting them off completely. But with Link she has kept in her life and went on to engage in an on-again, off-again relationship with him (whereas with the other guys she had been with she ignored altogether not bothering with them at all). She also showed something of a protective side with him having gotten truly worried about him when he is hurt or could be. This is and her jealous side also confirms her hidden love for him when Ridley gets more than possessive when other girls try to get into a relationship with him; even physically harming Savannah when she flirts with him. She even threatens her to stay away from him implying he was already hers and henceforth to "stay away," from him "before she gets hurts."

The biggest confirmation would probably be when Ridley is shown to be genuinely heartbroken when Link rejects her, even to the extent of being pushed to near tears. It is suspected at that Ridley may just be afraid of the extent of her feelings towards Link since Link is the only person who has been shown to open up her weak side and has ever genuinely loved her. And adding to the factor that she, for the first time, actually returns those feelings may possibly scare her due to how new they are for her. Examples of this being in the short moments in the series when Link opens up and expresses his feelings toward her, she is shown to almost open up a weak and vulnerable side to his confessions, but is then quick to hide those emotions when seeing others watching resulting with her cocky attitude and bluntly and coldly rejecting him. The only time she has ever returned his feelings openly is when they were alone and no one is there to witness her opening up her vulnerable and weak side to him; though that does nothing to stop his rejection of her due to her selfish choice of getting her Siren powers back from their enemies despite all the hurt they have done to them.

Ethan and Link have been best friends since kindergarten the two having met on a school bus and Link giving him a Twinkie that fell on the floor (though later admitting that he just made that part up at the time). Link and Ethan share a brother-like bond caring and loving one another like brothers. Link is also shown to be strongly loyal towards Ethan, as he is towards him, sticking to his side no matter what the situation may be, even accepting Lena when Ethan started to develop an attraction towards her. Link even stuck up for Lena when the whole school turned against her, simply because he knew how Ethan felt about her. When Ethan points Link's strong loyalty out to him, he responds saying they were "brothers no matter what."

Link also confides in Ethan in personal matters; primary when it comes to his love situation with Ridley. Ethan tries to gently discourage his feelings for Ridley due to her nature as a Dark Siren and how she has done nothing but played with his emotions, but Link reveals how, despite her being Dark and what she has done to him in the past, he still loves her. Ethan simply listens and tries to help him the best he can despite his negative opinion towards Link's emotions towards Ridley since she has done nothing but relentlessly played with his emotions and head.

Link was one of the few people to accept Lena's appearance in Gatlin. At first, he tried to persuade Ethan from getting to know her, aware of what would happen to Ethan's reputation upon befriending her, but since Ethan grew to like her, Link grew to be one of the few people who treated her kindly.

Quotes

"Man, if this is what I have to look forward to, this year is going to rock."

"I told you we were good. Just one step away from a contract."

"Ladies, ladies. There's no need to fight. There's plenty of this to go around."

"No way. You're head's too full of crazy for me. But you wouldn't believe what Savannah dreams about. Let's just say she's not thinking about the state finals."

"So, he's like a human compass? As far as superpowers go, that's pretty lame. You're like the Caster equivalent of Aquaman."

Film portrayal

Notes and trivia

He is mortal through books 1-2 but after being bitten by John during the ending of the second book, becomes an Incubus throughout novels 3-4.

He is the first guy Ridley has ever truly developed feelings for.

He loves playing in his band despite not being any good.

It could be possible the reason why Ridley opened up to Link because of his transition to an Incubus. When Ridley was a Mortal she wanted Link to kiss her. Also, she never opened up until Link was a Incubus

Ridley commented that both names for Link's band were ridiculous, Holy Rollers and Meatstik, and especially disgusted at the latter.